JD Eaves entered the world on St Patrick's Day, March 17, 2005. At one day old, he was diagnosed with Tricuspid Atresia. Tricuspid Atresia is a congenital heart defect where the tricuspid valve does not form and because of this, the right ventricle is very small and non functional. This diagnosis plunged us head first into the world of congenital heart disease. His only option for survival was a 3 stage surgical repair. At 5 days old, he had the BT shunt surgery with the Glenn surgery soon to follow at 5 months old. For 2 years he grew and lived as a normal baby. At around 3 years of age, JD started to slow down. It was time for the final stage of his repair, the Fontan. We took a tired and blue toddler to Boston, MA and brought a pink and energetic toddler back home to Mississippi. The improvement from this surgery was profound.
For about 7-8 years, JD thrived. He was slower than his peers and tired out quicker, but he lived as any other kid. Then the O2 saturations gradually began to fall. Post Fontan, his "sats" were in the normal range (95-100) and have gotten lower and lower in the past several years to now in the mid-high 60's. After several caths, imagining, and many other exams, it was discovered JD has developed Pulmonary AVMs in his right lung.
Today, at 13 years old, JD is very cyanotic (blue) and miserably tired all the time. He will have his Fontan revised on July 30, 2018 in the hope that it will improve the "hepatic flow" and heal the Pulmonary AVMs. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Brian Kogon at Blair Batsen Children's Hospital in Jackson, MS. As much I hate for JD to go through a major surgery like this, I am desperate for my son to feel good again. I will update this page as often as I can while we go through this journey. We are fortunate to have so many friends and family who love JD and support all of us!! Please lift JD up in prayer along with the surgeon and medical team that will care for him!
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." ~ Psalms 147:3
